Bean variety SV3709GC

ABSTRACT

The invention provides seed and plants of the bean line SV3709GC. The invention thus relates to the plants, seeds, and tissue cultures of bean line SV3709GC and to methods for producing a bean plant produced by crossing a plant of bean line SV3709GC with itself or with another bean plant, such as a plant of another genotype. The invention further relates to seeds and plants produced by such crossing. The invention further relates to parts of a plant of bean line SV3709GC, including the pods and gametes of such plants.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to the field of plant breeding and, morespecifically, to the development of bean line SV3709GC.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The goal of crop breeding is to combine various desirable traits in asingle variety/hybrid. Such desirable traits may include any traitdeemed beneficial by a grower and/or consumer including greater yield,resistance to insects or pathogens, tolerance environmental stress,better agronomic quality, higher nutritional value, growth rate andfruit or pod properties.

Breeding techniques take advantage of a plant's method of pollination.There are two general methods of pollination: a plant self-pollinates ifpollen from one flower is transferred to the same or another flower ofthe same plant or plant variety. A plant cross-pollinates if pollencomes to it from a flower of a different plant variety.

Plants that have been self-pollinated and selected for type over manygenerations become homozygous at almost all genetic loci and produce auniform population of true breeding progeny, a homozygous plant. A crossbetween two such homozygous plants of different genotypes produces auniform population of hybrid plants that are heterozygous for manygenetic loci. Conversely, a cross of two plants each heterozygous at anumber of loci produces a population of hybrid plants that differgenetically and are not uniform. The resulting non-uniformity makesperformance unpredictable.

The development of uniform varieties requires the development ofhomozygous inbred plants, the crossing of these inbred plants, and theevaluation of the crosses. Pedigree breeding and recurrent selection areexamples of breeding methods that have been used to develop inbredplants from breeding populations. Those breeding methods combine thegenetic backgrounds from two or more plants or various other broad-basedsources into breeding pools from which new lines are developed byselfing and selection of desired phenotypes. The new lines are evaluatedto determine which of those have commercial potential.

One crop species which has been subject to such breeding programs and isof particular value is garden bean (Phaseolus vulgaris (snap)). Beansare annual, warm-season legumes. Garden beans, also known as greenbeans, snap beans, or pole beans, are grown primarily for their pods,which are harvested for consumption in their succulent form, whereas drybeans (Phaseolus vulgaris (dry)), lima beans (Phaseolus limensis), andsoybeans (Glycine max) are usually grown for the seed itself. Inaddition, the bean leaf is occasionally used as a leaf vegetable, andthe straw is used for fodder.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

In one aspect, the present invention provides a bean plant of the lineSV3709GC. Also provided are bean plants having all the physiological andmorphological characteristics of bean line SV3709GC. Parts of the beanplant of the present invention are also provided, for example, includingpollen, an ovule, a pod, an embryo, a seed, and a cell of the plant.

The invention also concerns seed of bean line SV3709GC. The bean seed ofthe invention may be provided as an essentially homogeneous populationof bean seed of the line designated SV3709GC. Essentially homogeneouspopulations of seed are generally free from substantial numbers of otherseed. Therefore, in one embodiment, seed of line SV3709GC may be definedas forming at least about 97% of the total seed, including at leastabout 98%, 99%, or more of the seed. The population of bean seed may beparticularly defined as being essentially free from hybrid seed. Theseed population may be separately grown to provide an essentiallyhomogeneous population of bean plants designated SV3709GC.

In another aspect of the invention, a plant of bean line SV3709GCcomprising an added heritable trait is provided. The heritable trait maycomprise a genetic locus that is, for example, a dominant or recessiveallele. In one embodiment of the invention, a plant of bean lineSV3709GC is defined as comprising a single locus conversion. In specificembodiments of the invention, an added genetic locus confers one or moretraits such as, for example, herbicide tolerance, insect resistance,disease resistance, and modified carbohydrate metabolism. In furtherembodiments, the trait may be conferred by a naturally occurring geneintroduced into the genome of the line by backcrossing, a natural orinduced mutation, or a transgene introduced through genetictransformation techniques into the plant or a progenitor of any previousgeneration thereof. When introduced through transformation, a geneticlocus may comprise one or more genes integrated at a single chromosomallocation.

In some embodiments, a single locus conversion includes one or moresite-specific changes to the plant genome, such as, without limitation,one or more nucleotide modifications, deletions, or insertions. A singlelocus may comprise one or more genes or nucleotides integrated ormutated at a single chromosomal location. In one embodiment, a singlelocus conversion may be introduced by a genetic engineering technique,methods of which include, for example, genome editing with engineerednucleases (GEEN). Engineered nucleases include, but are not limited to,Cas endonucleases; zinc finger nucleases (ZFNs); transcriptionactivator-like effector nucleases (TALENs); engineered meganucleases,also known as homing endonucleases; and other endonucleases for DNA orRNA-guided genome editing that are well-known to the skilled artisan.

In another aspect of the invention, a tissue culture of regenerablecells of a plant of line SV3709GC is provided. The tissue culture willpreferably be capable of regenerating plants capable of expressing allof the physiological and morphological characteristics of the startingplant, and of regenerating plants having substantially the same genotypeas the starting plant. Examples of some of the physiological andmorphological characteristics of the line SV3709GC include those traitsset forth in the table herein. The regenerable cells in such tissuecultures may be derived, for example, from embryos, meristems,cotyledons, pollen, leaves, anthers, roots, root tips, pistils, flowers,seed and stalks. Still further, the present invention provides beanplants regenerated from a tissue culture of the invention, the plantshaving all the physiological and morphological characteristics of lineSV3709GC.

In yet another aspect of the invention, processes are provided forproducing bean seeds, plants and pods, which processes generallycomprise crossing a first parent bean plant with a second parent beanplant, wherein at least one of the first or second parent bean plants isa plant of the line designated SV3709GC. These processes may be furtherexemplified as processes for preparing hybrid bean seed or plants,wherein a first bean plant is crossed with a second bean plant of adifferent, distinct genotype to provide a hybrid that has, as one of itsparents, the bean plant line SV3709GC. In these processes, crossing willresult in the production of seed. The seed production occurs regardlessof whether the seed is collected or not.

In one embodiment of the invention, the first step in “crossing”comprises planting seeds of a first and second parent bean plant, oftenin proximity so that pollination will occur for example, mediated byinsect vectors. Alternatively, pollen can be transferred manually. Wherethe plant is self-pollinated, pollination may occur without the need fordirect human intervention other than plant cultivation.

A second step may comprise cultivating or growing the seeds of first andsecond parent bean plants into plants that bear flowers. A third stepmay comprise preventing self-pollination of the plants, such as byemasculating the male portions of flowers, (i.e., treating ormanipulating the flowers to produce an emasculated parent bean plant).

A fourth step for a hybrid cross may comprise cross-pollination betweenthe first and second parent bean plants. Yet another step comprisesharvesting the seeds from at least one of the parent bean plants. Theharvested seed can be grown to produce a bean plant or hybrid beanplant.

The present invention also provides the bean seeds and plants producedby a process that comprises crossing a first parent bean plant with asecond parent bean plant, wherein at least one of the first or secondparent bean plants is a plant of the line designated SV3709GC. In oneembodiment of the invention, bean seed and plants produced by theprocess are first generation (F₁) hybrid bean seed and plants producedby crossing a plant in accordance with the invention with another,distinct plant. The present invention further contemplates plant partsof such an F₁ hybrid bean plant, and methods of use thereof. Therefore,certain exemplary embodiments of the invention provide an F₁ hybrid beanplant and seed thereof.

In still yet another aspect of the invention, the genetic complement ofthe bean plant line designated SV3709GC is provided. The phrase “geneticcomplement” is used to refer to the aggregate of nucleotide sequences,the expression of which sequences defines the phenotype of, in thepresent case, a bean plant, or a cell or tissue of that plant. A geneticcomplement thus represents the genetic makeup of a cell, tissue orplant, and a hybrid genetic complement represents the genetic make-up ofa hybrid cell, tissue or plant. The invention thus provides bean plantcells that have a genetic complement in accordance with the bean plantcells disclosed herein, and plants, seeds and plants containing suchcells.

Plant genetic complements may be assessed by genetic marker profiles,and by the expression of phenotypic traits that are characteristic ofthe expression of the genetic complement, e.g., isozyme typing profiles.It is understood that line SV3709GC could be identified by any of themany well-known techniques such as, for example, Simple Sequence LengthPolymorphisms (SSLPs) (Williams et al., Nucleic Acids Res., 18:6531-6535, 1990), Randomly Amplified Polymorphic DNAs (RAPDs), DNAAmplification Fingerprinting (DAF), Sequence Characterized AmplifiedRegions (SCARs), Arbitrary Primed Polymerase Chain Reaction (AP-PCR),Amplified Fragment Length Polymorphisms (AFLPs) (EP 534 858,specifically incorporated herein by reference in its entirety), andSingle Nucleotide Polymorphisms (SNPs) (Wang et al., Science,280:1077-1082, 1998).

In still yet another aspect, the present invention provides hybridgenetic complements, as represented by bean plant cells, tissues,plants, and seeds, formed by the combination of a haploid geneticcomplement of a bean plant of the invention with a haploid geneticcomplement of a second bean plant, preferably, another, distinct beanplant. In another aspect, the present invention provides a bean plantregenerated from a tissue culture that comprises a hybrid geneticcomplement of this invention.

In still yet another aspect, the invention provides a plant of an inbredbean line that exhibits a combination of traits including high yield andflat pods. In certain embodiments, the trait may be defined ascontrolled by genetic means for the expression of the trait found inbean line SV3709GC.

In still yet another aspect, the invention provides a method ofdetermining the genotype of a plant of bean line SV3709GC comprisingdetecting in the genome of the plant at least a first polymorphism. Themethod may, in certain embodiments, comprise detecting a plurality ofpolymorphisms in the genome of the plant. The method may furthercomprise storing the results of the step of detecting the plurality ofpolymorphisms on a computer readable medium. The invention furtherprovides a computer readable medium produced by such a method.

In still yet another aspect, the present invention provides a method ofproducing a plant derived from line SV3709GC, the method comprising thesteps of: (a) preparing a progeny plant derived from line SV3709GC,wherein said preparing comprises crossing a plant of the line SV3709GCwith a second plant; and (b) crossing the progeny plant with itself or asecond plant to produce a seed of a progeny plant of a subsequentgeneration. In further embodiments, the method may additionallycomprise: (c) growing a progeny plant of a subsequent generation fromsaid seed of a progeny plant of a subsequent generation and crossing theprogeny plant of a subsequent generation with itself or a second plant;and repeating the steps for an additional 3-10 generations to produce aplant derived from line SV3709GC. The plant derived from line SV3709GCmay be an inbred line, and the aforementioned repeated crossing stepsmay be defined as comprising sufficient inbreeding to produce the inbredline. In the method, it may be desirable to select particular plantsresulting from step (c) for continued crossing according to steps (b)and (c). By selecting plants having one or more desirable traits, aplant derived from line SV3709GC is obtained which possesses some of thedesirable traits of the line as well as potentially other selectedtraits.

Any embodiment discussed herein with respect to one aspect of theinvention applies to other aspects of the invention as well, unlessspecifically noted.

The term “about” is used to indicate that a value includes the standarddeviation of the mean for the device or method being employed todetermine the value. The use of the term “or” in the claims is used tomean “and/or” unless explicitly indicated to refer to alternatives onlyor the alternatives are mutually exclusive. When used in conjunctionwith the word “comprising” or other open language in the claims, thewords “a” and “an” denote “one or more,” unless specifically notedotherwise. The terms “comprise,” “have” and “include” are open-endedlinking verbs. Any forms or tenses of one or more of these verbs, suchas “comprises,” “comprising,” “has,” “having,” “includes” and“including,” are also open-ended. For example, any method that“comprises,” “has” or “includes” one or more steps is not limited topossessing only those one or more steps and also covers other unlistedsteps. Similarly, any plant that “comprises,” “has” or “includes” one ormore traits is not limited to possessing only those one or more traitsand covers other unlisted traits.

In certain embodiments, the present invention provides a method ofproducing beans comprising: (a) obtaining a plant of bean line SV3709GC,wherein the plant has been cultivated to maturity, and (b) collectingbeans from the plant.

Other objects, features, and advantages of the present invention willbecome apparent from the following detailed description. It should beunderstood, however, that the detailed description and any specificexamples provided, while indicating specific embodiments of theinvention, are given by way of illustration only, since various changesand modifications within the spirit and scope of the invention willbecome apparent to those skilled in the art from this detaileddescription.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

The invention provides methods and compositions relating to plants,seeds, and derivatives of the bean line designated SV3709GC. This lineshows uniformity and stability within the limits of environmentalinfluence for the traits described hereinafter. Bean line SV3709GCprovides sufficient seed yield. By crossing with a distinct, secondplant, uniform F₁ hybrid progeny can be obtained.

Bean line SV3709GC, also known as 14-C6-BRB-0001 and BRBDJ09 1031, is acranberry bean variety. Bean line SV3709GC produces plants withdesirable pod and seed anthocyanin striping, strong plant vigor, andhigh yield.

A. Physiological and Morphological Characteristics of Bean Line SV3709GC

In accordance with one aspect of the present invention, there isprovided a plant having the physiological and morphologicalcharacteristics of bean line SV3709GC. A description of thephysiological and morphological characteristics of bean line SV3709GC ispresented in Table 1.

TABLE 1 Physiological and Morphological Characteristics of Bean LineSV3709GC SV3709GC CHARACTERISTIC (BRB-DJ091031) ETNA Market Maturitymarket class cranberry cranberry days to edible pods late medium (>100days) (90-100 days) days from planting to 104 89 harvest maturity heatunits from planting to 1513.9 1533.3 harvest maturity Plant averageheight of mature 44.90 41.60 plant (cm) pod position scattered scattered(not concentrated high or low) bush form growth type dwarf dwarf planttype (dwarf beans only) vine erect (indeterminate, (indeterminate, shortguides with guides (runners) no ability short or not to climb)developed) plant height (dwarf beans only) medium medium (Hammond'sDwarf, Scarlet) lodging resistance good good Leaves ground color greengreen intensity of green color medium medium (full flowering) blisteringweak weak morphology smooth smooth morphology semi-glossy semi-glossyapex of leaflet acuminate acuminate apex long acuminate medium (Pallas)acuminate base of leaflet obtuse obtuse rugosity (full flowering) size(terminal leaflet) large medium (full flowering) (Emergo) shape(terminal leaflet of ovate ovate fully expanded trifoliolate) shapetriangular triangular to (Red Rum) circular Anthocyanin Colorationhypocotyl absent absent flowers present present leaves absent absentstems absent absent petioles absent absent pods present presentpeduncles absent absent seeds present present nodes absent absent Flowerstandard color white white wings color pink pink keel color pink purpledays to 50% bloom 45 40 time of flowering (50% of the medium mediumplants with at least one flower) Pods color pattern of green podsstriped blotched primary color of green pods green green color modifierof green pods light-medium light cross section shape of green pods pearpear pod curvature of green pods slightly slightly curved curved podbeak orientation of green pods straight curved downward length(including beak) (immature 1.20 1.30 stage) (cm) constrictions of greenpods deep slight length (including beak) long long maximum medium widthmedium medium intensity of green color light light color of pattern ofmature pods blotched blotched primary color of mature pods tan tan colorof modifier of mature pods medium medium secondary color of mature podspurple purple cross section shape of mature pods pear pear suturestrings present present pod curvature of mature pods slightly curvedslightly curved degree of curvature medium slight (Painted Lady) shapeof curvature concave concave shape of distal part pointed to pointed to(excluding beak) truncate truncate length of beak short short pod beakorientation of straight curved mature pods (average beak downwardlength: 1.08 cm) pod beak length (mature) (cm) 1.20 1.20 curvation ofbeak absent or very weak medium (Sun Bright) constrictions of maturepods medium strong (Armstrong, Emergo) average number of seeds per pod4.7 5.3 (mature pods) Seed color shiny shiny color polychrome polychromeprimary color buff buff secondary color pink pink distribution ofpredominant spotted spotted secondary color coat pattern flecked fleckedhilar ring present present color of hilar ring different color differentcolor from seed from seed hilar ring color tan tan shape of seed takenfrom truncate fastigate oval middle pod shape of median longitudinalelliptic elliptic section shape of median cross-section ellipticelliptic dry seed weight in grams per 41.4 49.8 100 grams of seed (gm)weight low low These are typical values. Values may vary due toenvironment. Other values that are substantially equivalent are withinthe scope of the invention.

B. Breeding Bean Plants

One aspect of the current invention concerns methods for crossing thebean line SV3709GC with itself or a second plant and the seeds andplants produced by such methods. These methods can be used forpropagation of line SV3709GC, or can be used to produce hybrid beanseeds and the plants grown therefrom. Hybrid seeds are produced bycrossing line SV3709GC with second bean parent line.

The development of new varieties using one or more starting varieties iswell known in the art. In accordance with the invention, novel varietiesmay be created by crossing line SV3709GC followed by multiplegenerations of breeding according to such well-known methods. Newvarieties may be created by crossing with any second plant. In selectingsuch a second plant to cross for the purpose of developing novel lines,it may be desired to choose those plants which either themselves exhibitone or more selected desirable characteristics or which exhibit thedesired characteristic(s) in progeny. Once initial crosses have beenmade, inbreeding and selection take place to produce new varieties. Fordevelopment of a uniform line, often five or more generations of selfingand selection are involved.

Uniform lines of new varieties may also be developed by way ofdouble-haploids. This technique allows the creation of true breedinglines without the need for multiple generations of selfing andselection. In this manner, true breeding lines can be produced in aslittle as one generation. Haploid embryos may be produced frommicrospores, pollen, anther cultures, or ovary cultures. The haploidembryos may then be doubled autonomously, or by chemical treatments(e.g. colchicine treatment). Alternatively, haploid embryos may be growninto haploid plants and treated to induce chromosome doubling. In eithercase, fertile homozygous plants are obtained. In accordance with theinvention, any of such techniques may be used in connection with lineSV3709GC and progeny thereof to achieve a homozygous line.

New varieties may be created, for example, by crossing line SV3709GCwith any second plant and selection of progeny in various generationsand/or by doubled haploid technology. In choosing a second plant tocross for the purpose of developing novel lines, it may be desired tochoose those plants which either themselves exhibit one or more selecteddesirable characteristics or which exhibit the desired characteristic(s)in progeny. After one or more lines are crossed, true-breeding lines maybe developed.

Backcrossing can also be used to improve an inbred plant. Backcrossingtransfers a specific desirable trait from one inbred or non-inbredsource to an inbred that lacks that trait. This can be accomplished, forexample, by first crossing a superior inbred (A) (recurrent parent) to adonor inbred (non-recurrent parent), which carries the appropriate locusor loci for the trait in question. The progeny of this cross are thenmated back to the superior recurrent parent (A) followed by selection inthe resultant progeny for the desired trait to be transferred from thenon-recurrent parent. After five or more backcross generations withselection for the desired trait, the progeny have the characteristicbeing transferred, but are like the superior parent for most or almostall other loci. The last backcross generation would be selfed to givepure breeding progeny for the trait being transferred.

The line of the present invention is particularly well suited for thedevelopment of new lines based on the elite nature of the geneticbackground of the line. In selecting a second plant to cross withSV3709GC for the purpose of developing novel bean lines, it willtypically be preferred to choose those plants which either themselvesexhibit one or more selected desirable characteristics or which exhibitthe desired characteristic(s) when in hybrid combination. Examples ofdesirable characteristics may include, for example, seed yield, seedsize, seed shape, seed uniformity, pod size, pod shape, pod color, poduniformity, early maturity, disease resistance, herbicide tolerance,seedling vigor, adaptability for soil conditions, adaptability forclimate conditions, and uniform plant height.

C. Further Embodiments of the Invention

In certain aspects of the invention, plants described herein areprovided modified to include at least a first desired heritable trait.Such plants may, in one embodiment, be developed by a plant breedingtechnique called backcrossing, wherein essentially all of themorphological and physiological characteristics of a variety arerecovered in addition to a genetic locus transferred into the plant viathe backcrossing technique. The term single locus converted plant asused herein refers to those bean plants which are developed by a plantbreeding technique called backcrossing or by genetic engineering,wherein essentially all of the desired morphological and physiologicalcharacteristics of a variety are recovered or conserved in addition tothe single locus introduced into the variety via the backcrossing orgenetic engineering technique, respectively. By essentially all of themorphological and physiological characteristics, it is meant that thecharacteristics of a plant are recovered or conserved that are otherwisepresent when compared in the same environment, other than an occasionalvariant trait that might arise during backcrossing, introduction of atransgene, or application of a genetic engineering technique.

Backcrossing methods can be used with the present invention to improveor introduce a characteristic into the present variety. The parentalbean plant which contributes the locus for the desired characteristic istermed the nonrecurrent or donor parent. This terminology refers to thefact that the nonrecurrent parent is used one time in the backcrossprotocol and therefore does not recur. The parental bean plant to whichthe locus or loci from the nonrecurrent parent are transferred is knownas the recurrent parent as it is used for several rounds in thebackcrossing protocol.

In a typical backcross protocol, the original variety of interest(recurrent parent) is crossed to a second variety (nonrecurrent parent)that carries the single locus of interest to be transferred. Theresulting progeny from this cross are then crossed again to therecurrent parent and the process is repeated until a bean plant isobtained wherein essentially all of the desired morphological andphysiological characteristics of the recurrent parent are recovered inthe converted plant, in addition to the single transferred locus fromthe nonrecurrent parent.

The selection of a suitable recurrent parent is an important step for asuccessful backcrossing procedure. The goal of a backcross protocol isto alter or substitute a single trait or characteristic in the originalvariety. To accomplish this, a single locus of the recurrent variety ismodified or substituted with the desired locus from the nonrecurrentparent, while retaining essentially all of the rest of the desiredgenetic, and therefore the desired physiological and morphologicalconstitution of the original variety. The choice of the particularnonrecurrent parent will depend on the purpose of the backcross; one ofthe major purposes is to add some commercially desirable trait to theplant. The exact backcrossing protocol will depend on the characteristicor trait being altered and the genetic distance between the recurrentand nonrecurrent parents. Although backcrossing methods are simplifiedwhen the characteristic being transferred is a dominant allele, arecessive allele, or an additive allele (between recessive anddominant), may also be transferred. In this instance it may be necessaryto introduce a test of the progeny to determine if the desiredcharacteristic has been successfully transferred.

In one embodiment, progeny bean plants of a backcross in which SV3709GCis the recurrent parent comprise (i) the desired trait from thenon-recurrent parent and (ii) all of the physiological and morphologicalcharacteristics of bean line SV3709GC as determined at the 5%significance level when grown in the same environmental conditions.

Bean varieties can also be developed from more than two parents. Thetechnique, known as modified backcrossing, uses different recurrentparents during the backcrossing. Modified backcrossing may be used toreplace the original recurrent parent with a variety having certain moredesirable characteristics or multiple parents may be used to obtaindifferent desirable characteristics from each.

With the development of molecular markers associated with particulartraits, it is possible to add additional traits into an established germline, such as represented here, with the end result being substantiallythe same base germplasm with the addition of a new trait or traits.Molecular breeding, as described in Moose and Mumm, 2008 (PlantPhysiology, 147: 969-977), for example, and elsewhere, provides amechanism for integrating single or multiple traits or QTL into an eliteline. This molecular breeding-facilitated movement of a trait or traitsinto an elite line may encompass incorporation of a particular genomicfragment associated with a particular trait of interest into the eliteline by the mechanism of identification of the integrated genomicfragment with the use of flanking or associated marker assays. In theembodiment represented here, one, two, three or four genomic loci, forexample, may be integrated into an elite line via this methodology. Whenthis elite line containing the additional loci is further crossed withanother parental elite line to produce hybrid offspring, it is possibleto then incorporate at least eight separate additional loci into thehybrid. These additional loci may confer, for example, such traits as adisease resistance or a fruit quality trait. In one embodiment, eachlocus may confer a separate trait. In another embodiment, loci may needto be homozygous and exist in each parent line to confer a trait in thehybrid. In yet another embodiment, multiple loci may be combined toconfer a single robust phenotype of a desired trait.

Many single locus traits have been identified that are not regularlyselected for in the development of a new inbred but that can be improvedby backcrossing techniques. Single locus traits may or may not betransgenic; examples of these traits include, but are not limited to,male sterility, herbicide resistance, resistance to bacterial, fungal,or viral disease, insect resistance, restoration of male fertility,modified fatty acid or carbohydrate metabolism, and enhanced nutritionalquality. These comprise genes generally inherited through the nucleus.

Direct selection may be applied where the single locus acts as adominant trait. An example of a dominant trait is the anthracnoseresistance trait. For this selection process, the progeny of the initialcross are sprayed with anthracnose spores prior to the backcrossing. Thespraying eliminates any plants which do not have the desired anthracnoseresistance characteristic, and only those plants which have theanthracnose resistance gene are used in the subsequent backcross. Thisprocess is then repeated for all additional backcross generations.

Selection of bean plants for breeding is not necessarily dependent onthe phenotype of a plant and instead can be based on geneticinvestigations. For example, one can utilize a suitable genetic markerwhich is closely genetically linked to a trait of interest. One of thesemarkers can be used to identify the presence or absence of a trait inthe offspring of a particular cross, and can be used in selection ofprogeny for continued breeding. This technique is commonly referred toas marker assisted selection. Any other type of genetic marker or otherassay which is able to identify the relative presence or absence of atrait of interest in a plant can also be useful for breeding purposes.Procedures for marker assisted selection applicable to the breeding ofbean are well known in the art. Such methods will be of particularutility in the case of recessive traits and variable phenotypes, orwhere conventional assays may be more expensive, time consuming orotherwise disadvantageous. In addition, marker assisted selection may beused to identify plants comprising desirable genotypes at the seed,seedling, or plant stage, to identify or assess the purity of acultivar, to catalog the genetic diversity of a germplasm collection,and to monitor specific alleles or haplotypes within an establishedcultivar.

Types of genetic markers which could be used in accordance with theinvention include, but are not necessarily limited to, Simple SequenceLength Polymorphisms (SSLPs) (Williams et al., Nucleic Acids Res., 18:6531-6535, 1990), Randomly Amplified Polymorphic DNAs (RAPDs), DNAAmplification Fingerprinting (DAF), Sequence Characterized AmplifiedRegions (SCARs), Arbitrary Primed Polymerase Chain Reaction (AP-PCR),Amplified Fragment Length Polymorphisms (AFLPs) (EP 534 858,specifically incorporated herein by reference in its entirety), andSingle Nucleotide Polymorphisms (SNPs) (Wang et al., Science,280:1077-1082, 1998).

In particular embodiments of the invention, marker assisted selection isused to increase the efficiency of a backcrossing breeding scheme forproducing a bean line comprising a desired trait. This technique iscommonly referred to as marker assisted backcrossing (MABC). Thistechnique is well-known in the art and may involve, for example, the useof three or more levels of selection, including foreground selection toidentity the presence of a desired locus, which may complement orreplace phenotype screening protocols; recombinant selection to minimizelinkage drag; and background selection to maximize recurrent parentgenome recovery.

D. Plants Derived by Genetic Engineering

Various genetic engineering technologies have been developed and may beused by those of skill in the art to introduce traits in plants. Incertain aspects of the claimed invention, traits are introduced intobean plants via altering or introducing a single genetic locus ortransgene into the genome of a recited variety or progenitor thereof.Methods of genetic engineering to modify, delete, or insert genes andpolynucleotides into the genomic DNA of plants are well-known in theart.

In specific embodiments of the invention, improved bean lines can becreated through the site-specific modification of a plant genome.Methods of genetic engineering include, for example, utilizingsequence-specific nucleases such as zinc-finger nucleases (see, forexample, U.S. Pat. Appl. Pub. No. 2011-0203012); engineered or nativemeganucleases; TALE-endonucleases (see, for example, U.S. Pat. Nos.8,586,363 and 9,181,535); and RNA-guided endonucleases, such as those ofthe CRISPR/Cas systems (see, for example, U.S. Pat. Nos. 8,697,359 and8,771,945 and U.S. Pat. Appl. Pub. No. 2014-0068797). One embodiment ofthe invention thus relates to utilizing a nuclease or any associatedprotein to carry out genome modification. This nuclease could beprovided heterologously within donor template DNA for templated-genomicediting or in a separate molecule or vector. A recombinant DNA constructmay also comprise a sequence encoding one or more guide RNAs to directthe nuclease to the site within the plant genome to be modified. Furthermethods for altering or introducing a single genetic locus include, forexample, utilizing single-stranded oligonucleotides to introduce basepair modifications in a bean plant genome (see, for example Sauer etal., Plant Physiol, 170(4):1917-1928, 2016).

Methods for site-directed alteration or introduction of a single geneticlocus are well-known in the art and include those that utilizesequence-specific nucleases, such as the aforementioned, or complexes ofproteins and guide-RNA that cut genomic DNA to produce a double-strandbreak (DSB) or nick at a genetic locus. As is well-understood in theart, during the process of repairing the DSB or nick introduced by thenuclease enzyme, a donor template, transgene, or expression cassettepolynucleotide may become integrated into the genome at the site of theDSB or nick. The presence of homology arms in the DNA to be integratedmay promote the adoption and targeting of the insertion sequence intothe plant genome during the repair process through homologousrecombination or non-homologous end joining (NHEJ).

In another embodiment of the invention, genetic transformation may beused to insert a selected transgene into a plant of the invention ormay, alternatively, be used for the preparation of transgenes which canbe introduced by backcrossing. Methods for the transformation of plantsthat are well-known to those of skill in the art and applicable to manycrop species include, but are not limited to, electroporation,microprojectile bombardment, Agrobacterium-mediated transformation, anddirect DNA uptake by protoplasts.

As is well known in the art, tissue culture of bean can be used for thein vitro regeneration of a bean plant. Tissue culture of various tissuesof beans and regeneration of plants there from is well known. Forexample, reference may be had to McClean and Grafton (Plant Sci.,60:117-122, 1989); Mergeai and Baudoin (B.I.C. Invit. Papers,33:115-116, 1990); Vanderwesthuizen and Groenewald (S. Afr. J. Bot.,56:271-273, 1990); Benedicic et al. (Plant Cell Tissue Org. Cult.,24:199-206, 1990); Malik and Saxena (Planta, 184(1):148-150, 1991).

To effect transformation by electroporation, one may employ eitherfriable tissues, such as a suspension culture of cells or embryogeniccallus or alternatively one may transform immature embryos or otherorganized tissue directly. In this technique, one would partiallydegrade the cell walls of the chosen cells by exposing them topectin-degrading enzymes (pectolyases) or mechanically wound tissues ina controlled manner.

A efficient method for delivering transforming DNA segments to plantcells is microprojectile bombardment. In this method, particles arecoated with nucleic acids and delivered into cells by a propellingforce. Exemplary particles include those comprised of tungsten,platinum, and preferably, gold. For the bombardment, cells in suspensionare concentrated on filters or solid culture medium. Alternatively,immature embryos or other target cells may be arranged on solid culturemedium. The cells to be bombarded are positioned at an appropriatedistance below the macroprojectile stopping plate.

An illustrative embodiment of a method for delivering DNA into plantcells by acceleration is the Biolistics Particle Delivery System, whichcan be used to propel particles coated with DNA or cells through ascreen, such as a stainless steel or Nytex screen, onto a surfacecovered with target bean cells. The screen disperses the particles sothat they are not delivered to the recipient cells in large aggregates.It is believed that a screen intervening between the projectileapparatus and the cells to be bombarded reduces the size of projectilesaggregate and may contribute to a higher frequency of transformation byreducing the damage inflicted on the recipient cells by projectiles thatare too large.

Microprojectile bombardment techniques are widely applicable, and may beused to transform virtually any plant species.

Agrobacterium-mediated transfer is another widely applicable system forintroducing gene loci into plant cells. An advantage of the technique isthat DNA can be introduced into whole plant tissues, thereby bypassingthe need for regeneration of an intact plant from a protoplast. ModernAgrobacterium transformation vectors are capable of replication in E.coli as well as Agrobacterium, allowing for convenient manipulations(Klee et al., Nat. Biotechnol., 3(7):637-642, 1985). Moreover, recenttechnological advances in vectors for Agrobacterium-mediated genetransfer have improved the arrangement of genes and restriction sites inthe vectors to facilitate the construction of vectors capable ofexpressing various polypeptide coding genes. The vectors described haveconvenient multi-linker regions flanked by a promoter and apolyadenylation site for direct expression of inserted polypeptidecoding genes. Additionally, Agrobacterium containing both armed anddisarmed Ti genes can be used for transformation.

In those plant strains where Agrobacterium-mediated transformation isefficient, it is the method of choice because of the facile and definednature of the gene locus transfer. The use of Agrobacterium-mediatedplant integrating vectors to introduce DNA into plant cells is wellknown in the art (Fraley et al., Nat. Biotechnol., 3:629-635, 1985; U.S.Pat. No. 5,563,055). Agrobacterium-mediated transformation of P.vulgaris is described in, for example, Zhang et al. (J. American Soc.Horticul. Sci., 122(3):300-305, 1997); McClean et al. (Plant Cell Tiss.Org. Cult., 24:131-138, 1991); Lewis and Bliss (J. American Soc.Horticul. Sci., 119:361-366, 1994); and Song et al. (J. Plant Physiol.,146:148-154, 1995).

Transformation of plant protoplasts also can be achieved using methodsbased on calcium phosphate precipitation, polyethylene glycol treatment,electroporation, and combinations of these treatments (see, e.g.,Potrykus et al., Mol. Gen. Genet., 199:183-188, 1985; Omirulleh et al.,Plant Mol. Biol., 21(3):415-428, 1993; Fromm et al., Nature,312:791-793, 1986; Uchimiya et al., Mol. Gen. Genet., 204:204, 1986;Marcotte et al., Nature, 335:454, 1988). Transformation of plants andexpression of foreign genetic elements is exemplified in Choi et al.(Plant Cell Rep., 13: 344-348, 1994), and Ellul et al. (Theor. Appl.Genet., 107:462-469, 2003).

A number of promoters have utility for plant gene expression for anygene of interest including but not limited to selectable markers,scoreable markers, genes for pest tolerance, disease resistance,nutritional enhancements and any other gene of agronomic interest.Examples of constitutive promoters useful for garden bean plant geneexpression include, but are not limited to, the cauliflower mosaic virus(CaMV) P-35S promoter, which confers constitutive, high-level expressionin most plant tissues (see, e.g., Odel et al., Nature, 313:810, 1985),including monocots (see, e.g., Dekeyser et al., Plant Cell, 2:591, 1990;Terada and Shimamoto, Mol. Gen. Genet., 220:389, 1990); a tandemlyduplicated version of the CaMV 35S promoter, the enhanced 35S promoter(P-e35S) the nopaline synthase promoter (An et al., Plant Physiol.,88:547, 1988), the octopine synthase promoter (Fromm et al., Plant Cell,1:977, 1989); and the figwort mosaic virus (P-FMV) promoter as describedin U.S. Pat. No. 5,378,619 and an enhanced version of the FMV promoter(P-eFMV) where the promoter sequence of P-FMV is duplicated in tandem,the cauliflower mosaic virus 19S promoter, a sugarcane bacilliform viruspromoter, a commelina yellow mottle virus promoter, and other plant DNAvirus promoters known to express in plant cells.

With an inducible promoter the rate of transcription increases inresponse to an inducing agent. Any inducible promoter can be used in theinstant invention. A variety of plant gene promoters that are regulatedin response to environmental, hormonal, chemical, and/or developmentalsignals can be used for expression of an operably linked gene in plantcells, including promoters regulated by (1) heat (Callis et al., PlantPhysiol., 88:965, 1988), (2) light (e.g., pea rbcS-3A promoter,Kuhlemeier et al., Plant Cell, 1:471, 1989; maize rbcS promoter,Schaffner and Sheen, Plant Cell, 3:997, 1991; or chlorophyll a/b-bindingprotein promoter, Simpson et al., EMBO J., 4:2723, 1985), (3) hormones,such as abscisic acid (Marcotte et al., Plant Cell, 1:969, 1989), (4)wounding (e.g., wunl, Siebertz et al., Plant Cell, 1:961, 1989); or (5)chemicals such as methyl jasmonate, salicylic acid, or Safener. It mayalso be advantageous to employ organ-specific promoters (e.g., Roshal etal., EMBO J., 6:1155, 1987; Schernthaner et al., EMBO J., 7:1249, 1988;Bustos et al., Plant Cell, 1:839, 1989). Exemplary organ-specific ororgan-preferred promoters include, but are not limited to, aroot-preferred promoter, such as that from the phaseolin gene(Sengupta-Gopalan et al., Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA, 82:3320-3324,1985); a leaf-specific and light-induced promoter such as that from cabor rubisco (Simpson et al., EMBO J., 4:2723, 1985) and Timko et al.,Nature, 318:579-582, 1985); an anther-specific promoter such as thatfrom LAT52 (Twell et al., Mol. Gen. Genetics, 217:240-245, 1989); apollen-specific promoter such as that from Zm13 (Guerrero et al., Mol.Gen. Genetics, 244:161-168, 1993) or a microspore-preferred promotersuch as that from apg (Twell et al., Sex. Plant Reprod., 6:217-224,1993).

Transport of protein produced by transgenes to a subcellular compartmentsuch as the chloroplast, vacuole, peroxisome, glyoxysome, cell wall, ormitochondrion or for secretion into the apoplast, may be accomplished bymeans of operably linking the nucleotide sequence encoding a signalsequence to the 5′ and/or 3′ region of a gene encoding the protein ofinterest. Targeting sequences at the 5′ and/or 3′ end of the structuralgene may determine, during protein synthesis and processing, where theencoded protein is ultimately compartmentalized. The presence of asignal sequence directs a polypeptide to either an intracellularorganelle or subcellular compartment or for secretion to the apoplast.Many signal sequences are known in the art. See, for example Becker etal. (Plant Mol. Biol., 20:49, 1992); Knox et al. (Plant Mol. Biol.,9:3-17, 1987); Lerner et al. (Plant Physiol., 91:124-129, 1989); Fonteset al. (Plant Cell, 3:483-496, 1991); Matsuoka et al. (Proc. Natl. Acad.Sci. USA, 88:834, 1991); Gould et al. (J. Cell. Biol., 108:1657, 1989);Creissen et al. (Plant J., 2:129, 1991); Kalderon et al. (Cell,39:499-509, 1984); Steifel et al. (Plant Cell, 2:785-793, 1990).

Exemplary nucleic acids which may be introduced to the bean lines ofthis invention include, for example, DNA sequences or genes from anotherspecies, or even genes or sequences which originate with or are presentin the same species, but are incorporated into recipient cells bygenetic engineering methods rather than classical reproduction orbreeding techniques. However, the term “exogenous” is also intended torefer to genes that are not normally present in the cell beingtransformed, or perhaps simply not present in the form, structure, etc.,as found in the transforming DNA segment or gene, or genes which arenormally present and that one desires to express in a manner thatdiffers from the natural expression pattern, e.g., to over-express.Thus, the term “exogenous” gene or DNA is intended to refer to any geneor DNA segment that is introduced into a recipient cell, regardless ofwhether a similar gene may already be present in such a cell. The typeof DNA included in the exogenous DNA can include DNA which is alreadypresent in the plant cell, DNA from another plant, DNA from a differentorganism, or a DNA generated externally, such as a DNA sequencecontaining an antisense message of a gene, or a DNA sequence encoding asynthetic or modified version of a gene.

Many hundreds if not thousands of different genes are known and couldpotentially be introduced into a bean plant according to the invention.Non-limiting examples of particular genes and corresponding phenotypesone may choose to introduce into a bean plant include one or more genesfor insect tolerance, such as a Bacillus thuringiensis (B.t.) gene, pesttolerance such as genes for fungal disease control, herbicide tolerancesuch as genes conferring glyphosate tolerance, and genes for qualityimprovements such as yield, nutritional enhancements, environmental orstress tolerances, or any desirable changes in plant physiology, growth,development, morphology or plant product(s). For example, structuralgenes would include any gene that confers insect tolerance including butnot limited to a Bacillus insect control protein gene as described in WO99/31248, herein incorporated by reference in its entirety, U.S. Pat.No. 5,689,052, herein incorporated by reference in its entirety, U.S.Pat. Nos. 5,500,365 and 5,880,275, herein incorporated by reference intheir entirety. In another embodiment, the structural gene can confertolerance to the herbicide glyphosate as conferred by genes including,but not limited to Agrobacterium strain CP4 glyphosate resistant EPSPSgene (aroA:CP4) as described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,633,435, hereinincorporated by reference in its entirety, or glyphosate oxidoreductasegene (GOX) as described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,463,175, herein incorporatedby reference in its entirety.

Alternatively, the DNA coding sequences can affect these phenotypes byencoding a non-translatable RNA molecule that causes the targetedinhibition of expression of an endogenous gene, for example viaantisense- or cosuppression-mediated mechanisms (see, for example, Birdet al., Biotech. Gen. Engin. Rev., 9:207, 1991). The RNA could also be acatalytic RNA molecule (i.e., a ribozyme) engineered to cleave a desiredendogenous mRNA product (see for example, Gibson and Shillito, Mol.Biotech., 7:125, 1997). Thus, any gene which produces a protein or mRNAwhich expresses a phenotype or morphology change of interest is usefulfor the practice of the present invention.

E. Definitions

In the description and tables herein, a number of terms are used. Inorder to provide a clear and consistent understanding of thespecification and claims, the following definitions are provided:

A: When used in conjunction with the word “comprising” or other openlanguage in the claims, the words “a” and “an” denote “one or more.”

Allele: Any of one or more alternative forms of a genetic locus, all ofwhich alleles relate to one trait or characteristic. In a diploid cellor organism, the two alleles of a given gene occupy corresponding locion a pair of homologous chromosomes.

Backcrossing: A process in which a breeder repeatedly crosses hybridprogeny, for example a first generation hybrid (F₁), back to one of theparents of the hybrid progeny. Backcrossing can be used to introduce oneor more single locus conversions or transgenes from one geneticbackground into another.

Bean Yield (Tons/Acre): The recovered yield in tons/acre is the yield ofthe bean pods at harvest versus the means of harvest (hand-picked,mechanical harvest).

Broad Adaptation: A cultivar having a broad adaptability means acultivar or selection that will perform well in different growingconditions, locations, and seasons.

Bush Form: A USDA term about the visual look of the plant. A bean plantis: Spherical (even in width and height), Wide when the bush is widerthan tall, High when the bush is taller than wide, or Stem when theindividual branches protrude from the shape.

Concentrated Set of Pods: A concentrated set of pods is said of a plantwhere a high percentage of all pods on a plant set and mature at thesame time so as to facilitate a single harvest.

Crossing: The mating of two parent plants.

Cross-Pollination: Fertilization by the union of two gametes fromdifferent plants.

Determinate Plant: A determinate plant will grow to a fixed number ofnodes with a terminal floral raceme on the main stem, while anindeterminate plant continues to grow and never has a terminal floralraceme on the main stem.

Diploid: A cell or organism having two sets of chromosomes.

Dry Pod Color: The color of dry pods can be Buckskin (a light to palebrown), Salmon (a distinct reddish color), or Green (pale to intense)depending on the expression of the gene for persistent green.

Emasculate: The removal of plant male sex organs or the inactivation ofthe organs with a cytoplasmic or nuclear genetic factor or a chemicalagent conferring male sterility.

Enzymes: Molecules which can act as catalysts in biological reactions.

F₁ Hybrid: The first generation progeny of the cross of two nonisogenicplants.

Field Holding Ability: A bean plant that has field holding ability meansa plant having pods that remain smooth and retain their color along witha firm fleshy interior as the seed approached physiological maturity.

Genotype: The genetic constitution of a cell or organism.

Haploid: A cell or organism having one set of the two sets ofchromosomes in a diploid.

Linkage: A phenomenon wherein alleles on the same chromosome tend tosegregate together more often than expected by chance if theirtransmission was independent.

Machine or Mechanical Harvest: A machine harvestable plant means a beanplant from which the pods can be removed from the plant one of severalcommercial mechanical harvesters in such a manner as to reduce brokenpods, clusters, and plant matter from the desired pods.

Marker: A readily detectable phenotype, preferably inherited incodominant fashion (both alleles at a locus in a diploid heterozygoteare readily detectable), with no environmental variance component, i.e.,heritability of 1.

Maturity: A maturity under 53 days is considered early while one between54-59 days would be considered average or medium and one of 60 or moredays would be late.

Maturity Date: Plants are considered mature when the pods have reachedtheir maximum desirable seed size and sieve size for the specific useintended. This can vary for each end user, e.g., processing at differentstages of maturity would be required for different types of consumerbeans such as “whole pack,” “cut” or “French style.” The number of daysis calculated from a relative planting date which depends on day length,heat units and other environmental factors.

Phenotype: The detectable characteristics of a cell or organism, whichcharacteristics are the manifestation of gene expression.

Pod Color: A USDA term where light green color is defined by the varietyProvider and a dark green color by the variety Bush Blue Lake 290.Yellow is defined as color of the wax bean Goldrush.

Pod Position: The pod position is the location of the pods within theplant. The pods can be high (near the top), low (near the bottom), ormedium (in the middle) of the plant, or scattered throughout the plant.

Quantitative Trait Loci (QTL): Quantitative trait loci (QTL) refer togenetic loci that control to some degree numerically representabletraits that are usually continuously distributed.

Regeneration: The development of a plant from tissue culture.

Resistance: As used herein, the terms “resistance” and “tolerance” areused interchangeably to describe plants that show no symptoms to aspecified biotic pest, pathogen, abiotic influence or environmentalcondition. These terms are also used to describe plants showing somesymptoms but that are still able to produce marketable product with anacceptable yield. Some plants that are referred to as resistant ortolerant are only so in the sense that they may still produce a crop,even though the plants are stunted and the yield is reduced.

Royal Horticultural Society (RHS) Color Chart Value: The RHS Color Chartis a standardized reference which allows accurate identification of anycolor. A color's designation on the chart describes its hue, brightnessand saturation. A color is precisely named by the RHS color chart byidentifying the group name, sheet number and letter, e.g., Yellow-OrangeGroup 19A or Red Group 41B.

Seed Development: The rate at which seeds develop as pods reach theirharvest diameter. A slow seed development characteristic will give acultivar its field holding ability, and a larger harvest window.

Self-Pollination: The transfer of pollen from the anther to the stigmaof the same plant.

Single Locus Converted (Conversion) Plant: Plants which are developed bya plant breeding technique called backcrossing or genetic engineering ofa locus wherein essentially all of the morphological and physiologicalcharacteristics of a bean variety are recovered or conserved in additionto the characteristics of the single locus.

Substantially Equivalent: A characteristic that, when compared, does notshow a statistically significant difference (e.g., p=0.05) from themean.

Tetraploid: A cell or organism having four sets of chromosomes.

Tissue Culture: A composition comprising isolated cells of the same or adifferent type or a collection of such cells organized into parts of aplant.

Transgene: A genetic locus comprising a sequence which has beenintroduced into the genome of a bean plant by transformation orsite-specific recombination.

Triploid: A cell or organism having three sets of chromosomes.

F. Deposit Information

A deposit of bean line SV3709GC, disclosed above and recited in theclaims, has been made with the American Type Culture Collection (ATCC),10801 University Blvd., Manassas, Va. 20110-2209. The date of depositfor bean line SV3709GC was Jan. 23, 2019. The accession number for thosedeposited seeds of bean line SV3709GC is ATCC Accession NumberPTA-125699. Upon issuance of a patent, all restrictions upon the depositwill be removed, and the deposit is intended to meet all of therequirements of 37 C.F.R. §§ 1.801-1.809. The deposit will be maintainedin the depository for a period of 30 years, or 5 years after the lastrequest, or for the effective life of the patent, whichever is longer,and will be replaced if necessary during that period.

Although the foregoing invention has been described in some detail byway of illustration and example for purposes of clarity andunderstanding, it will be obvious that certain changes and modificationsmay be practiced within the scope of the invention, as limited only bythe scope of the appended claims.

All references cited herein are hereby expressly incorporated herein byreference.

What is claimed:
 1. A bean plant of bean line SV3709GC, a sample of seed of the line having been deposited under ATCC Accession Number PTA-125699.
 2. A bean seed that produces the plant of claim
 1. 3. A plant part of the plant of claim 1, wherein the plant part comprises a cell of the plant.
 4. A bean plant having all of the physiological and morphological characteristics of the plant of claim
 1. 5. A tissue culture of regenerable cells of the plant of claim
 1. 6. A bean plant regenerated from the tissue culture of claim 5, wherein said plant has all of the physiological and morphological characteristics of bean line SV3709GC.
 7. A method of vegetatively propagating the plant of claim 1, the method comprising the steps of: (a) collecting tissue capable of being propagated from the plant of claim 1; and (b) propagating a bean plant from the tissue.
 8. A method of introducing a trait into a bean plant, the method comprising: (a) utilizing as a recurrent parent the plant of claim 1 by crossing the plant with a donor bean plant that comprises a trait to produce F₁ progeny; (b) selecting an F₁ progeny that comprises the trait; (c) backcrossing the selected F₁ progeny with a plant of the same bean line used as the recurrent parent in step (a) to produce backcross progeny; (d) selecting a backcross progeny comprising the trait and the morphological and physiological characteristics of the recurrent parent bean line used in step (a); and (e) repeating steps (c) and (d) three or more times to produce a selected fourth or higher backcross progeny.
 9. A bean plant produced by the method of claim 8, wherein said plant comprises the trait and otherwise comprises all of the physiological and morphological characteristics of bean line SV3709GC.
 10. A method of producing a bean plant comprising an added trait, the method comprising introducing a transgene conferring the trait into the plant of claim
 1. 11. A bean plant produced by the method of claim 10, wherein said plant comprises the trait and otherwise comprises all of the physiological and morphological characteristics of bean line SV3709GC.
 12. A bean plant of bean line SV3709GC, a sample of seed of the line having been deposited under ATCC Accession Number PTA-125699, further comprising a transgene, wherein said plant comprises the transgene and otherwise comprises all of the physiological and morphological characteristics of bean line SV3709GC.
 13. The plant of claim 12, wherein the transgene confers a trait selected from the group consisting of male sterility, herbicide tolerance, insect resistance, pest resistance, disease resistance, modified fatty acid metabolism, environmental stress tolerance, modified carbohydrate metabolism, and modified protein metabolism.
 14. A bean plant of bean line SV3709GC, a sample of seed of the line having been deposited under ATCC Accession Number PTA-125699, further comprising a single locus conversion, wherein said plant comprises the single locus conversion and otherwise comprises all of the physiological and morphological characteristics of bean line SV3709GC.
 15. The plant of claim 14, wherein the single locus conversion confers a trait selected from the group consisting of male sterility, herbicide tolerance, insect resistance, pest resistance, disease resistance, modified fatty acid metabolism, environmental stress tolerance, modified carbohydrate metabolism, and modified protein metabolism.
 16. A method for producing a seed of a bean plant derived from bean line SV3709GC, the method comprising the steps of: (a) crossing the plant of claim 1 with itself or a second bean plant; and (b) allowing a seed of a bean line SV3709GC-derived bean plant to form.
 17. A method of producing a seed of a bean line SV3709GC-derived bean plant, the method comprising the steps of: (a) producing a bean line SV3709GC-derived bean plant from a seed produced by crossing a plant of claim 1 with itself or a second bean plant; and (b) crossing the bean line SV3709GC-derived bean plant with itself or a different bean plant to obtain a seed of a further bean line SV3709GC-derived bean plant.
 18. The method of claim 17, the method further comprising repeating the producing and crossing steps of (a) and (b) using the seed from step (b) for producing a plant according to step (a) for at least one generation to produce a seed of an additional bean line SV3709GC-derived bean plant.
 19. A method of producing a bean, the method comprising: (a) obtaining the plant of claim 1, wherein the plant has been cultivated to maturity; and (b) collecting a bean from the plant. 